Provincetown Tennis Club
SUMMER SPORTS
Provincetown Tennis Club and Yacht Club Wrap Up Season
PROVINCETOWN — The Provincetown Tennis Club finished the season last month with its annual members tournament. Last year, the club had to rearrange the tournament to comply with Covid protocols, and fans were not allowed to attend.
This year fans were welcomed back as the club returned to normal operations. The men’s and women’s singles tournament was held on Aug. 14 and 15; men’s and women’s doubles was held Aug. 28 and 29; and the mixed-doubles tournament was played Sept. 11 and 12.
In the men’s singles, James Veninger defeated Jonathan Hamilton in two sets: 6-2, 6-4. In the men’s doubles tournament, Veninger and Hamilton teamed up to defeat Doug Coelho and Joe Hilton in two sets: 6-2, 6-1.
In the women’s singles, Maria Cirino defeated Blythe Robertson by a score of 6-0, 7-6 (4). Karen Shaw and Deb Shapiro defeated Annette Andruss and Kimberly Wilson in women’s doubles, 6-3, 6-2.
Joe Hilton and Maria Cirino defeated Dan Silver and Kimberly Wilson in the mixed doubles tournament by a score of 6-3, 2-1. The second set had to be cut short because Silver suffered leg cramps.
The PTC is as much a social club as a tennis club. Hamilton said it was nice to have fans back at the tournament and for members to be able to interact throughout the season, after last year’s social restrictions.
“It was a nice, festive atmosphere,” he said.
The club is still open, and lessons are available. Clay courts close around the end of October, while the rest of the courts remain open until late November.
Meanwhile, the Provincetown Yacht Club finished its racing series out with one final race and a celebratory dinner.
The Sparkle Marie II, captained by George Lynde, won lots of Saturday races in the Provincetown Yacht Club’s series this summer. (Photo Nancy Bloom)
The Provincetown Yacht Club celebrated its racing series with a “lay up” dinner at Ciro and Sal’s this past Saturday. “Lay up” means take a ship or boat out of service. Here, Capt. George Lynde (left) of the Sparkle Marie II and Capt. Joel Shaw (right) of the Selma Rose toast their victories. Lynde won first place and Shaw won second place in this summer’s series. Both boats are Rhodes 19s. (Photo courtesy Provincetown Yacht Club)
NET GAME
Tennis Club Resumes Wednesday Free Play
Members look forward to ‘a little more normal’ season
PROVINCETOWN — Many local businesses are having trouble staying open and fully staffed, but the Provincetown Tennis Club has been lucky. The club, whose season runs from mid-May through mid-October, stayed open last summer despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
Massachusetts allowed public and private tennis courts and golf courses to operate under strict health and safety protocols.
The club was able to accommodate nearly 100 members last year. That’s pretty close to its average membership, according to vice president Doug Gavel.
“Last year was very unusual for everyone, but we felt fortunate that under the state guidelines we were able to open,” Gavel said.
Members and nonmembers were able to play or take lessons at the club at scheduled times, and the club even held its annual members tournament in August. But no regular social events or activities were allowed.
This year, the club will be “a little more normal,” Gavel said, especially for socializing. It will once again offer public play and lessons for members and nonmembers, and will be reviving its afternoon tennis socials every Friday from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Sunday morning drop-in doubles will be available for teams of two every Sunday from 8 to 11 a.m. for a small fee.
“We run it so that groups will play for 20 minutes and then switch up,” Gavel said.
The club is also reintroducing its Wednesday afternoon free-play time. Locals residents who show a valid I.D. can play for free between 2 and 4 p.m.
“We couldn’t do any of those events last year,” Gavel said.
The tennis club is a 501(c)(7) nonprofit social club, so it’s technically owned by its members, who pay dues.
“It’s pretty unusual,” said Gavel. “Every member has a stake in our survival, in staying financially prudent, and we’ve been able to do that over the years. Dues go a long way toward subsidizing our overhead, for staffing, having a pro here, and maintenance.”
The tennis pro is Dorothy Zerbst, who gives lessons at the club.
Some sports stores, like local surf shops, have had supply chain issues in getting enough equipment in time for the season. Again, the tennis club considers itself fortunate.
“Our staff has really been ahead of the curve and gearing up for the season for a while,” Gavel said. Supplies are in, and the clubhouse is selling merchandise again this summer.
The biggest issue businesses are facing this summer is a lack of staff — and finding housing for the staff they do have. But the tennis club is fully staffed, with staff housed for the season, said Gavel.
For more information, see provincetowntennis.org.
MATCH
Provincetown Tennis Closes Out Tournament
PROVINCETOWN — The Provincetown Tennis Club (PTC) finished up its members tournament last week.
Maria Cirino defeated Judy Mencher in two sets, 6-2, 6-3, in the women’s singles final, while Brad Howarth defeated Michael Cummings in sets of 7-6, 4-6, (10-8) in the super tiebreaker.
The women’s doubles final was won by Kim Cromwell and Anne Paradis. The pair defeated Deb Shapiro and Karen Shaw by default, as the losing team dropped out due to injury.
Doug Coelho and Deb Shapiro defeated Maria Cirino and Joe Hilton in the mixed doubles final by sets of 0-6, 6-3, (10-8). In the men’s doubles final, Jonathan Hamilton and Doug Walker defeated Doug Coelho and Joe Hilton by a score of 2-6, 6-4, (10-4).
Hamilton, who is a member at the club, said the tournament had an exciting finish.
“The men’s doubles final was a terrific match and a comeback victory for us,” he said.
The club live-streamed all finals matches on Facebook, because visitors were not allowed to watch in person due to Covid restrictions. Hamilton and Doug Gavel, a member of the PTC board of directors, provided commentary, although Gavel was on his own during the matches Hamilton was involved in. Hamilton said live-streaming tennis activities may become a thing of the future for the club.
Tennis lessons at the PTC will continue through September. Visit provincetowntennis.org for more information. —Ryan Fitzgerald
THE COURT WILL RISE
Provincetown Tennis Serves Up a Tourney During Covid
Fans may be absent, but participation is more popular than ever
PROVINCETOWN — The Provincetown Tennis Club members’ tournament is underway this month, and the format looks a little different this year due to coronavirus protocols.
Usually, the tournament would be held over two consecutive weekends, but this year, it’s stretched over the entire month of August. The tournament was spread out in this way to lessen the number of people present at any given time.
“We were not able to do a two-weekend back-to-back tournament or what we did last year, which was round-robin,” said Carlos Terra, co-director of the tournament and vice president of the PTC board of governors. He’s competing in the tournament with his husband, Ray Faulkner.
“This year, the format was, for each round of matches, we have a time frame of eight days in which matches have to be played,” he said.
Players had to set their own schedule of tournament games. The semifinals have been designated to be played from Aug. 16 to 24, and the finals will be played on the weekend of Aug. 29 and 30.
“The protocols that we have in place do not allow congregating, which means people aren’t able to watch,” said Terra, who has worked at the club since 2007.
The format makes the tournament less fan-friendly, but both Terra and Dorothy Zerbst, director of tennis at PTC, said they’d like to set up a virtual viewing of the finals at the end of the month.
“We’re hoping to figure out to how to have a Zoom for spectators,” Zerbst said. “We’ll try and promote some sort of normalcy.”
“If we have someone at the club who’s technologically motivated, it would be fun,” Terra said.
The members’ tournament at the PTC dates back to the 1960s and ’70s.
“There’s an old picture album at the club, and there are black and white pictures of club tournaments,” Terra said.
When club membership began to drop, the tournament was discontinued. But it resurfaced around 2012 and has begun to grow again.
“This year, we have 58 percent of club membership who are participating in at least one division,” Terra said. “Maybe five or six years ago, it was probably just about 30 or so people. Now, we’re close to 52 people.”
Tennis may be seen as a good sport to play after retirement, but Terra said that’s not the only draw.
“We have a few members in their 20s playing in the tournament,” he said. “We’re trying to get a more diverse age population in the club.”
The men’s and women’s divisions both compete in singles and doubles play, and, this year, Zerbst said, there is even an A group and B group in the men’s singles division. She added that everyone has been cooperating with the protocols.
Zerbst moved to the United States from South Africa six years ago. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., but this is her first summer here as director of tennis at PTC.
Even in the age of Covid-19, she said her experience teaching private lessons and group clinics at the club has been great. During the pandemic, only four people are allowed to participate in a clinic at one time.
“I must admit, it’s been amazing. I’m loving it,” she said. “We’ve been booked out solidly for the last month and a half. Literally, I’ve been doing eight hours every single day.”
During the members’ tournament, play is friendly between participants in the early stages, but, once they reach the semifinals, it begins to get a little more competitive.
And the ultimate prize for finishing first? The winners have their names engraved in a perpetual trophy that peers out of the window of the clubhouse for all to see. Zerbst said she may even offer an additional trophy to this year’s winners.
For more information about the Provincetown Tennis Club, visit provincetowntennis.org.